Public Graduate Good 57/100

Southern Oregon University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Ashland, Oregon

About Southern Oregon University

Thinking about Southern Oregon University, a college in Oregon where more students graduate in Education than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Southern Oregon University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Ashland, Oregon. It enrolls 2,751 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
88.6%
Graduation
42.6%
Net Price
$16,732
Median Earnings (10yr)
$49,175
Enrollment
2,751
Student : Faculty
23:1

Accreditor Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Academic Calendar Quarter

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
57/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 21
Value 59
Affordability 48
Selectivity 28

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Southern Oregon University admits 88.6% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
88.6%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Southern Oregon University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↑ 4.5 pts since 2019
78.2%201990.4%202089.7%202188%202282.7%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $16,732 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$16,732
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
25%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
28%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$12,762
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$31,887
Room & Board (on-campus)
$16,968
Room & Board (off-campus)
$15,432
Books & Supplies
$999
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,500
Total Cost of Attendance
$27,636

Application fee: $60 (one-time, due at submission)


Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $11,830
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $12,466
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $15,813
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $22,415
  • Over $110,000
    $24,181

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$3,500
10% percentile
$6,333
25% percentile
$20,332
Median percentile
$26,000
75% percentile
$35,843
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $16,666 ↓ $3,666
No Pell $13,170 ↓ $7,162
Dependent students $14,000 ↓ $6,332
Independent students $18,103 ↓ $2,229
Female students $15,000 ↓ $5,332
Male students $15,000 ↓ $5,332
Pell recipients: 18.1% (3,686 students)No Pell: 14.3% (2,913 students)Dependent students: 15.2% (3,096 students)Independent students: 19.7% (4,003 students)Female students: 16.3% (3,317 students)Male students: 16.3% (3,317 students)Overall Median$20,332
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $11,000, less than completers ($20,332), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

43% of students who start here finish within six years, and 68% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
43%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
68%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $49,175 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$49,175
Earning > $25K
74%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$38,000$41,000$44,000$47,000$51,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$40,000

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$47,300

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$42,200

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$42,900

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$45,400

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $7,300, about 15% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 19.4 pts across 6 years
51.1%1yr57.6%3yr65.5%5yr70.5%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 70% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,751 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 40% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
2,751
Part-Time
17%
First-Generation
40%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 53.3% 1,467
Hispanic 14.0% 384
Other 12.7% 348
Black 1.7% 46
Asian 1.6% 43
International 1.3% 36
White: 53.3% (1,467 students)Hispanic: 14.0% (384 students)Other: 12.7% (348 students)Black: 1.7% (46 students)Asian: 1.6% (43 students)International: 1.3% (36 students)Total2,751

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Southern Oregon University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Midsize Suburb Ashland, Oregon
Housing
Partly residential 1,000 beds available
Adult Learners
18% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Quarter scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Southern Oregon University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 58 distinct programs across 20 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

5 Programs
7 Programs
2 Programs
3 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 23 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.

Student : Faculty
23:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$13,569
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$36M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$82,028
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

125 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 45 36% $98,575
Associate Professors 24 19% $78,851
Assistant Professors 34 27% $73,449
Instructors 21 17% $67,504
No Rank 1 1% $10,400

Pros & Cons of Southern Oregon University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Southern Oregon University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Larger class sizes than typical
  • Below-average completion rate
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for: Based on the data, Southern Oregon University is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.

Frequently Asked Questions about Southern Oregon University

The questions families ask most about Southern Oregon University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Southern Oregon University hard to get into?
Not especially. Southern Oregon University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 88.6%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Southern Oregon University?
88.6% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Southern Oregon University cost?
Budget around $16,732 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Southern Oregon University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $49,175 a year against a net price of $16,732, about 2.9 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Southern Oregon University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Teacher Education (K-12), Psychology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Southern Oregon University graduates earn?
About $49,175 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Southern Oregon University accredited?
Yes. Southern Oregon University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
How many students attend Southern Oregon University?
2,751 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Southern Oregon University?
43% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Southern Oregon University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Southern Oregon University located?
Southern Oregon University is located in Ashland, Oregon.
What programs does Southern Oregon University offer?
58 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Teacher Education (K-12), Psychology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Southern Oregon University?
23 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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